


it boys

by jongdaesang (d10smessi)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 18:59:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12637188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d10smessi/pseuds/jongdaesang
Summary: They chase after fame and each other.





	it boys

Milan streaks in front of Jongin like an unfamiliar vision. The impersonality of the city, however, is something he’s used to. Concert tours and photoshoots in the middle of places he doesn’t know, places he has never heard about until the moment they’re part of the dates.

 

He gets an exclusive invite for Prada S/S 18 and, surprisingly, management agrees. Unsurprisingly, it comes with a hefty price tag. Prada buys EXO Kai’s time and if there’s one thing fashion houses know, it’s that Kai’s time is expensive. 

 

They send a bunch of pieces straight to the stylists. Jongin knows what looks good on him and what does not but he’s neither conscious nor snob over brands and designers. If it looks good on him, then he doesn’t care if it’s from the racks or the runways.

 

He settles inside the hotel room and he toes off the dress shoes, flinging them away. His stylist eyes him with disgust and Jongin returns it with a cheeky wave.

 

“These are two-thousand dollar shoes, Jongin,” she admonishes, picking the pair up like it’s a treasure. She’s a no nonsense woman with an impeccable eye for styling and amazing tailoring skills at the last minute. Every time Jongin sees her work on him or any of the members, he thinks he’s watching a miracle unfold.

 

“Jongin,” his manager also warns him. There’s an image he has to maintain and the invitation clearly states that he doesn’t just represent Kpop but South Korea itself. Jongin thinks it’s a little ridiculous that brands clamor for him when all he’d want is a pair of good sweats and a comfortable tank top.

 

When he tells this to his manager and stylist, his manager shrugs. Jongin figures that is how it is—manager-hyung likes buying those three-packs of everything from wholesale retail shops.

 

His stylist, however, gives a particularly hard tug at a piece of thread before explaining, “You look very high fashion.”

 

Jongin frowns, dubious of what she’s saying. “What even is high fashion?”

 

This time, the stylist also shrugs. “You have this air about you. You always fit right into editorials.” She gives a small laugh. “You’re not very commercial though. You’re charming—you have to be since it’s your job—but when you’re standing around and posing, people don’t expect you to sell anything. People expect you to make clothes look good and artistic. Even if they look like garbage bags or potato sacks.”

 

Jongin laughs, “I’m going to pretend I get what you just said, noona.”

 

His manager clicks his tongue, tapping away at the company-issued iPad. He turns to Jongin and says, “Your ‘date’ tomorrow is Do Kyungsoo.”

 

“I have a date?” He asks incredulously.

 

Manager-hyung gives a sigh and Jongin knows, that moment, that there’s something he has to know but is not being told at the last minute. 

 

“Yeah,” his manager nods. “He’s famous on Instagram. Youngest son of a rich conglomerate CEO.”

 

Jongin groans, “The typical chaebol? Hyung, you know I don’t go well with those types of people!”

 

Manager-hyung clicks his tongue but he doesn’t say anything. He’s been with Jongin ever since debut and the man knows what ticks him off and what charms him. 

 

He shakes his head, “He’s not as bad as the girl from two years ago. He’s very quiet on social media. Likes posing photos of his clothes and his travels. Makeup. He absolutely loves his dogs and they’re toy poodles too so there’s that.”

 

Jongin shakes his head, grumbling, “You can’t expect me to talk to him the entire night about our dogs.”

 

His manager laughs and points out, “You’ve done it before.”

 

 

**

 

 

Jongin is, in fact, unfamiliar about Do Kyungsoo. He has no business following internet celebrities on their tacky social media accounts but he’s surprised when he clicks the man’s Instagram page.

 

The face that greets him is familiar. He’s seen it across some billboards in Seoul and, just two months ago, he’s sure this man is on the cover of Vogue Korea in a floor length tulle skirt that balloons around him. 

 

He remembers it so well because the cover is particularly scandalous among the mainstream consumers. Kyungsoo looks beautiful and Jongin has wondered upon seeing the cover if that’s a man or a woman. But the effect of confusing androgyny is lost because Kyungsoo is naked from the waist up. Kyungsoo has both his hands in an X across his chest for that cover and he’s smiling at the camera. It’s nothing raunchy—it’s more schoolyard teasing that anything else—and maybe that’s what his stylist means by editorial.

 

Kyungsoo also fits commercial, Jongin thinks as he scrolls through the photos on the man’s Instagram. There are some of him in sunglasses, lounging on daybeds facing the waters of the Mediterranean or the Caribbean. There are some of him doing quick makeup tutorials—eyeshadows and faux freckles but he seems to be fond of wearing his face bare. There are some of him in long skirts or a tailored suit and a pair of Louboutin pumps.

 

The pointed tip looks deadly in one particular photo—Kyungsoo leaning on a bannister and his legs extended outward. The pointed shoes look like they can stab a person to death.

 

Jongin withholds any opinion for the man but he seems a little weirded out about a person being famous for—well, nothing. Kyungsoo doesn’t seem to be doing much aside from looking pretty in photos and he doesn’t take the time to watch the videos. Maybe they’re just makeup tutorials and that doesn’t really interest him that much, no matter his job description.

 

In the end, Jongin skims through half of Kyungsoo’s feed. He calls it a night when he reaches a particular charming photo of the man with light makeup and honey colored eyeshadows.

 

Do Kyungsoo is pretty, he thinks as he tosses the phone to the side. 

 

Very pretty.

 

 

**

 

 

Jongin’s stylist practically pins and sews him into the clothes. All black everything and slicked back hair, her stylist calls it _CEO couture_ and _chaebol chic._

 

“This will look good with the outfit Do Kyungsoo has sent me,” she murmurs. She pops open almost all of the buttons and Jongin mentally thanks the fact that he has done a couple sets in the hotel gym this morning when the fabric falls away to expose the top of his abdomen. She doesn’t take any chances though, dusting a little bit of warm colored powder on the exposed part of his chest.

 

Jongin’s eyebrows go up. “Do Kyungsoo?”

 

His stylist sends him a deadpan look. “Yes. Not everyone has someone like me, you know?” She jokes before giving him a deadpan look. “Some people do enjoy dressing themselves up, Jongin.”

 

Jongin shakes his head. “I expected him to have, like, a stylist and a personal shopper or something.”

 

Noona shakes her head. “Nah. I don’t know much about the kid but I heard he really did enjoy dressing up. It just so happens that others enjoyed it too. And the fashion world likes people like him.”

 

Jongin makes a show of turning around in front of the mirror as soon as noona steps away. He likes how the pants sit well on him—not pop star tight but not grandpa loose either.

 

“Like him?” He clarifies. Jongin takes the watch his stylist hands him and he clasps it around his wrist, liking the weight of the thick metal.

 

“He has the face,” she says idly. “He’s cute and he’s beautiful. He’s commercial and editorial. He doesn’t have the height or the build but that just makes it more fun to dress him up, in my opinion.”

 

She pauses, taking a spray bottle and going to town on Jongin’s hair. She runs a fine-toothed comb on it before she continues speaking. “He dresses in traditionally male and female clothes. He experiments with makeup. People love that stuff.”

 

Noona takes those tiny scissors she owns and she starts snipping any loose thread on Jongin’s outfit. She takes it to snip his hair as well and Jongin can’t see any visible difference but he can see something has changed. He looks better.

 

“Thanks, noona,” he says. She gives him a thumbs up in reply before the two of them heads out of the room. His manager is already waiting outside, drinking water and his stomach medicine.

 

“I’m ready, hyung,” he says. His manager looks up and grins at him.

 

“Looking good, Kai,” he jokes. He always calls Jongin Kai when he’s dressed up like this—hair slicked back and all that. Jongin laughs at the little inside joke. 

 

People always think of Jongin and Kai as two different people but Jongin thinks it’s one side of himself as a whole. He _enjoys_ doing things like this—dressing like this, acting like this. He is _this_. He feels like Kai is also himself, the same way Jongin is Jongin.

 

“You too, hyung,” he replies. 

 

Manager-hyung just shakes his head, asking, “Ready for your date?”

 

Jongin grins and he nervously picks at the edge of his black shirt. “This feels like those prom scenes in American movies.”

 

“You’re too old for high school, Jongin,” his stylist reminds him.

 

“Andante says otherwise, noona,” he retorts.

 

The stylist looks like she wants to bop him but Jongin knows she won’t risk ruining Jongin’s look herself.

 

When they get down to the lift, someone’s already waiting in the lounge with them. Jongin immediately spies the seated figure as Do Kyungsoo. There are men in black suits around him with earpieces—bodyguards. He’s scrolling on his phone and he looks nonchalant, like he doesn’t want to be here.

 

Jongin knows for a fact that shyness can easily translate into stoicism. And that, to being a bitch.

 

“Hello, Do Kyungsoo,” he greets suddenly. Kyungsoo startles at that, instantly straightening up. His wide eyes grow even wider and Jongin almost laughs at how the man stands up immediately, giving his hand to Jongin. His eyes stay transfixed on Kyungsoo’s clothes and Jongin suddenly realizes while his stylist says they will look good together.

 

Kyungsoo’s wearing a soft-looking ankle length kimono jacket. Underneath, the dip of the silk top he’s wearing is low and it’s tucked under a pair of blush pink high waisted trousers. When he moves, one side of the coverup slips down and Jongin sees a thin strap that almost fades into nothing.

 

What surprises him more as he watches Kyungsoo blush, staining his clear face is the fact that he doesn’t expect this cute, nervous-looking man. He looks different in photos—in his Instagram, he looks like he eats men like Jongin for breakfast. In person, he looks like someone who should be fed breakfast, someone who should be taken care of.

 

“Do Kyungsoo, nice to meet you.” Kyungsoo’s voice is smooth and deep but there’s a certain innocent quality to it that charms Jongin. Years of spending his life in the world of show business has taken away any innocence and genuineness that he has. All that’s left, most of the time, is verisimilitude.

 

Kyungsoo accepts his hand and his palms and fingers are small against Jongin’s. Soft, too, from the years of what Jongin assumes he spent doing everything but hard manual labor. The ankle length kimono jacket he’s wearing moves with him and the fabric of it looks nice against the man’s pale skin.

 

Jongin offers his arm and Kyungsoo links his hand around the curve of his elbow. There’s a limo waiting for the two of them and Jongin hasn’t realized that Prada is going this far for them. Either Kyungsoo really is _that_ famous or Jongin is _that_ famous.

 

“After you,” he says, gesturing to the door that the chauffeur opened. Jongin can’t believe they have a chauffeur. There’s definitely a pattern of excess here.

 

“Thanks,” Kyungsoo replies. He slips inside the vehicle and Jongin follows. He knows his manager and stylist will get in another car. He assumes Kyungsoo’s bodyguards have another vehicle as well.

 

The first few minutes is awkward. Jongin’s quiet and Kyungsoo is content to sit around and scroll through his phone. Jongin sneaks a peek and finds the man liking stuff on Instagram. When Kyungsoo clicks the home screen button, Jongin sees that the older man uses a picture of two toy poodles as his background.

 

“Your dogs?” He suddenly asks.

 

Kyungsoo looks up at him and then back to his phone. He smiles before nodding, “Yes.” He scoots closer, showing the photo to Jongin. “This one’s Hoochoo and the other is Mongmool”

 

“You named the gray one _pepper_ and the black one _ink_?” Jongin asks incredulously.

 

“My pets, my names,” Kyungsoo huffs. He doesn’t seem offended though and Jongin grins ever wider. He takes his phone out and taps his camera roll. There’s a folder in there labeled ‘Babies’ and Jongin proudly shows it off to Kyungsoo.

 

“Here are mine,” he says. He introduces his dogs to Kyungsoo who looks extremely fascinated with his pets.

 

When Kyungsoo looks up at him, it’s underneath thick lashes. Jongin’s vision is treated with the sight of plush lips and large eyes. The man tilts his head and Jongin wonders what kind of seduction technique can appear this innocent.

 

“I was actually nervous about going with an idol,” Kyungsoo admits. “I thought you’d be, like, stuck-up and entitled or whatever.”

 

Jongin gives a man a nervous smile. “I thought the same about you, actually.”

 

“Really?” Kyungsoo sounds surprised. 

 

Jongin doesn’t know what’s surprising about it. Kyungsoo’s a twenty-something male, the youngest in a family of rich capitalists, who probably lives either in a penthouse apartment smack in the middle of one the world’s most expensive postal codes or inside his family’s private plane.

 

The fact that he seems surprised has Jongin shaking his head. 

 

“I’m glad I’m wrong,” he smiles before he shows another photo to Kyungsoo. Monggu’s dressed in a red sweater and he matches the one Jongin’s sporting in the picture.

 

 

**

 

 

The flashing lights are something Jongin has been used to but they never cease to annoy the fuck out of him. People wonder how he often has that smoldering look every time he walks the carpet but the truth is, the blinding lights make it easier to give a strong stare when you’re willing them to go away.

 

Kyungsoo matches him by expression and Jongin guesses they must look like a dream. The both of them gives an occasional smile and Jongin does not know whether to be surprised or not because most of the photographers are calling Kyungsoo’s name.

 

Jongin feels like a very expensive handbag.

 

Somehow, he doesn’t really mind.

 

“Please step aside,” someone says in English.

 

Jongin understands the meaning and then, the _meaning_ as he lets Kyungsoo have the spotlight first. The man works the camera, using his own clothes as a prop. He looks relaxed with a little bit of that high fashion boredom. He looks like he has more important things to do that be with everyone and look pretty.

 

“Your turn,” Kyungsoo whispers. He gestures towards the middle and Jongin saunters in front of the cameras once more.

 

He puts his hand inside his pocket and then, both hands. He tilts his head a little back before moving it to the side, making sure to display his jawline.

 

It’s his angle.

 

 

**

 

 

He sits beside Kyungsoo in the front row. Vogue everywhere hounds them both and Kyungsoo, apparently, is manning the social media for Vogue Korea. He’s switching on different accounts and before the show begins, he turns to Jongin with a smile.

 

“Do you want to be in my Instagram story with me?” The phone is poised to take a video and Kyungsoo checks the lights and the angles of it.

 

“How do you want me?” He asks. He almost chokes at how wrong it comes out but Kyungsoo gives him a smile like everything is good. Either the man is naive or he’s just extremely kind.

 

“Just do what you want to do,” Kyungsoo shrugs. He’s raising the camera up and trying to find even nicer light. 

 

“I’ll hold it,” Jongin offers. Kyungsoo obliges and hands him his own phone. Jongin holds it a little over their eye level but he’s trying to make the light hit Kyungsoo’s face nicely. It does and the man’s subtle highlight pops, making him look like glowing.

 

Jongin smiles when Kyungsoo tilts his head to the side in what is probably the man’s signature pose. He turns the record button on just as Jongin is fixing his hair.

 

“Hi, everyone,” he greets in perfect English. “I’m with EXO’s Kai today at Prada.”

 

Jongin gives a raspy, “Hello. I’m EXO’s Kai.” Instead of bowing, he gives a small nod to the camera and Kyungsoo presses himself a little to his side before the two of them starts giving stares.

 

Kyungsoo bites his lip as he angles his face to the side, closer to Jongin. Jongin does the same but they never break the intense stare to the camera. They swap poses for a bit before Jongin breaks it with a small laugh.

 

“What are we doing?” He asks in Korean.

 

Kyungsoo laughs as well, answering, “Just posing. Pretend like we’re on the cover of some high fashion magazine.”

 

Jongin wonders how many people will see this video and how many offers the two of them will get. With his popularity and Kyungsoo’s, he knows there’s going to be a lot and not just from South Korea either.

 

When Kyungsoo stops the recording, he posts the entire thing. Jongin raises his eyebrows at Kyungsoo’s devil-may-care attitude. 

 

“No edits?” 

 

Kyungsoo throws him a stare. “There’s art in carelessness and nonchalance is always high fashion.”

 

Jongin snorts, “And the true reason?”

 

Kyungsoo blushes and Jongin smiles because he has caught that lie. The smaller male ducks his head a bit, answering, “Uh—I don’t really know much about editing.”

 

He glares at Jongin playfully but he looks more like a put upon Maltese in Jongin’s opinion. He elbows Jongin on the side when someone gets them to organize themselves. The two of them leans to each other to giggle and Kyungsoo almost bends on Jongin’s knees with how hard he’s giggling.

 

They manage to straighten themselves up Kyungsoo whispers in Jongin’s ear. “In front rows, you have to look like you’d rather be somewhere than here.”

 

Jongin gives Kyungsoo a teasing grin. “That’s not so hard.”

 

The man snickers and shakes his head. Jongin schools his face.

 

If there’s anything EXO’s Kai and Kim Jongin can perfect, it’s looking like a cocky bitch.

 

 

**

 

 

The afterparty is in some swanky club in the middle of the city. Jongin swaps his plain black suit jacket for something with a little more embellishments. The outerwear is still black but the shoulder pads are a little more modern with a militaristic flair. When his stylist shows it to him, she says the goal of the look is for him to seem authoritative.

 

One of Kyungsoo’s bodyguards hands him a cloth bag before he slips inside the limo. Jongin tries to avert his eyes when Kyungsoo removes the coverup he’s wearing. The straps of his camisole top is thin and the V of its neckline is extremely low. He unzips the garment bag and pulls out another camisole looking top. This time, when it hits the light it slightly sparkles. It’s not overbearing and Jongin thinks Kyungsoo’s going to look ethereal wearing something like that.

 

Kyungsoo slowly pulls his top and Jongin coughs, removing his jacket in haste. The other man shoots him a questioning stare.

 

“I’m covering you up,” he explains. Jongin holds the jacket in front of Kyungsoo and he mentally thanks the fact that the man is almost on the petit side.

 

“I’m a man,” he says, almost offended.

 

Jongin shakes his head. “I’m still a stranger.” He blushes a bit. “Doesn’t matter if you’re a guy or a girl or whatever, you shouldn’t go naked in front of strangers.”

 

It’s not exactly the truth. Jongin knows he’s grasping at straws. He has no problem about anyone being nude in front of him. He lives in a dorm with his bandmates. 

 

But with Kyungsoo, it feels wrong. Not wrong wrong. Jongin can’t explain it but he thinks he’s taking advantage of the other man especially when he’s so attracted to him.

 

Kyungsoo sighs but he obliges. He changes quick and when he says, “I’m done,” Jongin puts his jacket on again. Kyungsoo slips inside his outerwear but he lets it drop low to his elbow. It exposes his arms and the narrow length of his shoulders, the dip of his prominent collarbones, and the low cut of his silk top. He wonders when the thin straps will fall. There’s a scar on Kyungsoo’s chest.

 

Jongin stares ahead and tries to calm the pounding in his chest.

 

 

**

 

 

Inside the club, Jongin lets the music wash over him. Some famous DJ he doesn’t know of is mixing and there’s a woman dancing with him, almost spilling a glass of something all over his chest. Jongin straightens her with a laugh before he slowly directs her to another woman. When the two of them are into each other, Jongin slips away to find Kyungsoo.

 

He declines another drink and he slinks back to where the bathrooms are. True enough, he finds Kyungsoo leaning on the wall. 

 

“Hey, Kyungsoo,” he says. 

 

The man looks up and his face lights up with a smile. His face is a little red and Jongin figures he is a little tipsy.

 

“Hey, Jongin,” he greets, waving his phone in a hello. He’s not slurring or anything and when he walks, he still does in his usual gait.

 

“What are you doing here all alone?” 

 

“Nothing,” Kyungsoo shakes his head. “It’s too noisy there and I'm waiting for some staff to take photos of me.”

 

Jongin laughs at that. “I’ll do it. Come on.”

 

Kyungsoo titters and he gives his phone to Jongin for the second time that night. The man leans into the wall, starting with a couple of effortless poses. Jongin crouches just a bit, finding the perfect angle. Kyungsoo’s kimono drags to the floor and he snaps a couple more of him.

 

When he’s done, he shows the picture to Kyungsoo. “How are they?”

 

“They came out great,” the other man replies. “Thanks.”

 

Before Jongin can say anything, a staff passes by and Kyungsoo calls for him. He asks for the man to take a pic of them and the staff agrees readily.

 

Jongin stands beside Kyungsoo and it’s a little awkward at first. Jongin doesn’t know if he’d pose as friends or as dates or as models.

 

Kyungsoo laughs at how he’s standing there and he pulls Jongin’s arm around his shoulders. He presses himself against Jongin’s side and the fabric of his clothes seems really soft and expensive.

 

Jongin’s fingers graze the strap of Kyungsoo’s top and he finds himself hooking his index and middle finger on it. He twists the length around and he feels Kyungsoo stiffen. He’s about to apologize and let go but the shorter male relaxes in an instant. 

 

Once the photo is taken, Kyungsoo surveys their couple shot. 

 

“Can I post them?” He asks eagerly.

 

Jongin doesn’t want to take away the smile on Kyungsoo’s face so he says, “Yes.”

 

If management asks why he’s cozying it up with Do Kyungsoo, slipping his fingers under the man’s camisole, then he’ll just say he’s drunk enough and they’re just having good fun.

 

 

**

 

 

They leave a little past midnight.

 

Jongin doesn’t mind not staying for too long because the lights have gone from party to absolutely psychedelic. He’s staying in the same five star hotel as Kyungsoo, just different floors, and when the man asks if he wants to hang out and tire themselves out. He says yes.

 

Kyungsoo’s bodyguards see him to his room and when the lock clicks in place, Jongin asks, “Why do you have bodyguards?”

 

The other male removes his shoes and Jongin follows suit. Kyungsoo digs around for the complementary hotel slippers and throws a pair towards Jongin before putting one himself.

 

“My parents and brother,” he rolls his eyes. “They think I’m part of the Kardashians or something.”

 

Jongin chuckles. “Really? They had you given bodyguards?”

 

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo goes to the kitchen and Jongin follows suit. With an eyebrow wiggle, he takes a bottle of champagne from the fridge. He adds, “They think someone's gonna kidnap me or something. Hyung’s the one who’s most overprotective. He insisted on an entourage.”

 

Jongin takes the bottle from Kyungsoo and he pops it open without a mess. Kyungsoo gives him an impressed stare before stealing the bottle back.

 

“Wanna hang out in my room?” He asks. He takes a swig straight from the thousand dollar bottle. His eyes are hooded and he crooks his fingers in a come hither gesture.

 

Jongin gulps and nods. 

 

“Sure,” he says as he goes inside the man’s bedroom.

**Author's Note:**

> *wink wink nudge nudge*


End file.
